GOVERNMENT auditors have called out officials of the Mt. Province State Polytechnic College (MPSPC) for spending P1.134 million on seminars or conferences held in various resorts in other provinces in 2022.
The Commission on Audit (COA) said the expenditure was questionable since there were alternative venues available in the locality that could accommodate such activities and saved the school around P214,852.78 in additional costs, including fuel, car rental, meals on the road, parking fees, and other payments.
Based on records obtained by the audit team, the MPSPC held the 2021 Yearend Assessment and 2022 Planning at the Palm Grove Hotsprings and Mountain Resort in Tuba, Benguet from December 7 to 10, 2021. This cost the school P317,934.
This was followed by the Review of Advance Education Strategic Plan and Action Planning for 2022 at the G Resort in Bolinao, Pangasinan from March 27 to 31, 2022, setting the institution back by P266,929.
The Office of Students Affairs next held a Writeshop cum Planning 2022 at Playa Tropical Resort Hotel in Currimao, Ilocos Norte from May 2 to 5, 2022, which billed the MPSPC to the tune of P392,139.78.
On May 16 to 19, 2022, the RDE Midyear Assessment was held at the Aplaya de Isabelle Resort in Sta. Cruz, Ilocos Sur for which the school had to pay P157,200.
In all, the conferences cost the MPSPC some P988,410 for meals, function rooms and accommodation rentals; P92,492 for meals while in transit; and P52,750 for fuel and car rentals.
Management claimed the out-of-province venue was unavoidable since the consultants and speakers were supposed to be coming from other places, hence the participants were the ones who had to travel.
But verification by the audit team showed otherwise.
“Review of other related supporting documents attached to the disbursement vouchers revealed that all the participants, consultants, and coordinators came from the College,” the COA said.
Moreover, the audit team noted that spending the sum within the province would have helped the local economy.
“Patronizing amenities found within the province will help boost the financial economy especially with the effect of the pandemic to the tourism industry resulting in less tourists coming to the province,” auditors pointed out.
The COA reminded MPSPC management that it has a duty to “ensure efficiency, economy, and effectiveness in the operations of government” and “to safeguard against wastage” of public funds.